Oct. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Serbia needs to pursue good relations
with its former province of Kosovo to make progress toward
European Union membership, a German lawmaker said.

Serbia, which became an EU candidate in March, faces
“great challenges ahead” and announcing the date for the start
of membership talks is less important than the continuation of
required reforms, said Gunther Kirchbaum, the chairman of the
German Parliament’s European Affairs Committee.

Both “Germany and the Bundestag see Serbia in the European
Union but Serbia can only cross that road on its own” and the
EU is willing to assist, Kirchbaum told reporters in Belgrade
today after meeting with Suzana Grubjesic, Serbia’s deputy prime
minister in charge of EU affairs.

Serbia marks today the 12th anniversary of the ouster of
former strongman Slobodan Milosevic, whose Socialists rose to
power after May 6 parliamentary elections and formed the
government together with former nationalists.

“It is not only the wish of Germany but also of the
European Union that good-neighborly relations between Serbia and
Kosovo are achieved” because “we don’t want a new Cyprus in
the EU,” Kirchbaum said. “Conflicts must be resolved.”

European Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule will be in
Belgrade on Oct. 10 to present this year’s progress report on
Serbia. Grubjesic said the Cabinet of Prime Minister Ivica
Dacic, which took office on July 27, will have to take “bold
steps” by spring when Serbia faces its “next chance” to win a
date for the start of entry talks.

EU President Herman Van Rompuy told Dacic on Sept. 4 that
Serbia also needs to make the economy more competitive, reform
the judiciary, safeguard media rights and crack down on
corruption and organized crime, to advance toward the EU.